International
| Demonstrations demanding the longtime leader resign are the latest anti-government uprising in the Arab region

by Onize Ohikere Posted 3/12/19, 04:15 pm

In a surprise move on Monday, longtime Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika withdrew his bid for a fifth term after his announcement that he would seek reelection sparked widespread demonstrations. The country is the latest North African nation to express discontent against older leaders in a growing movement analysts say resembles the 2011 Arab Spring uprising.

by Mindy Belz Posted 1/07/19, 01:20 pm

International
| Plus, a new church in Ukraine and other international news and notes

by Mindy Belz Posted 12/17/18, 11:03 am

CHINA: More than 60 police officers stormed a children’s Bible class Saturday morning to launch a raid shutting down Rongguili Church in Guangzhou. The church was founded by the late Samuel Lamb and became the third prominent Protestant church in China closed in recent months.

Onize Ohikere | 11/30/18, 11:35 am

Ukraine on Friday banned Russian men from traveling into the country amid increasing tension with Moscow. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Twitter that the restriction, which only affects 16- to 60-year-old men, will bar Russians from forming “private armies” in the country. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia will not impose similar restrictions on Ukraine.

Onize Ohikere | 11/29/18, 12:24 pm

UPDATE: Angered over Moscow’s handling of its ongoing conflict with Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday he would not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G-20 summit as planned. The Russian coast guard shot at and seized three Ukrainian vessels Sunday in the Kerch Strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azor. Russia said the ships were not authorized to pass through the strait, but Ukraine said they followed international maritime rules.

Onize Ohikere | 11/27/18, 11:05 am

Ukraine and Russia continue to point fingers after Sunday’s standoff in the Black Sea. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, warned on Tuesday that the Ukrainian Parliament’s motion to impose martial law the day before could trigger escalating hostilities. Ukraine imposed 30 days of martial law on Monday in 10 regions after the Russian coast guard shot at and seized three Ukrainian vessels on Sunday.

Kiley Crossland | 11/26/18, 11:23 am

The Russian coast guard shot at and seized three Ukrainian vessels on Sunday, wounding two crew members after a standoff in the Black Sea. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) blamed Ukraine for the incident, saying the ships passed unauthorized through the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov and separates the Crimean Peninsula from Russia. FSB officials said there was “irrefutable evidence that Kiev prepared and orchestrated provocations … in the Black Sea.